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Taliban releases French hostage
11/05/2007 20:54 - (SA)
Kanadahar - Afghanistan's Taliban movement said it released on Friday a French aid worker who was kidnapped more than five weeks ago and would decide later on the fate of his three Afghan co-workers.
Officials could not be immediately reached to confirm the release of Eric Damfreville, who works for the organisation Terre d'Enfance (A World For Our Children).
Taliban spokesperson Yousuf Ahmadi said: "We released the French citizen today at 17:30 (13:00 GMT) in Maiwand district of Kandahar province.
"We handed him over to the tribal elders and he was later handed over to the Red Cross Society."
Ahmadi said the leading council of the Taliban, which calls itself the Islamic Emirate, decided to free the aid worker because French president-elect Nicolas Sarkozy had suggested France might pull its troops out from Afghanistan.
Sarkozy had "said in his speeches that he will think about the withdrawal of French troops from Afghanistan", said Ahmadi.
Deciding fate
He added: "The Islamic Emirate hopes that the French president implements into action the promise he has made.
"About the fate of the three Afghans, the leading council of the Islamic Emirate will decide later."
Damfreville and three Afghan co-workers were captured in southwestern Afghanistan on April 3.
A French woman who was abducted with them, Celine Cordelier, was released at the end of last month.
The Taliban extended deadlines for its demands to be met for the release of the four men, saying it was aware France was "busy" with the May 6 presidential elections.
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